This present invention relates to an improvement in recovery containers, and more particularly to containers used in tramp oil or other effluent skimming operations for the purpose of recovering and recycling more usable fluids from the effluent mixture.
Industrial work which involves, but is not limited to, metal working such as fabrication, milling, tooling, machining, boring, parts cleaning, and the like, uses high-speed power tools for that purpose. A variety of industrial solutions are used to lubricate and to cool the work piece and the machine or tool associated with that work piece. Industrial solutions, such as coolants (i.e., cutting fluids or grinding fluids for example) are costly. When invariably, and unavoidably, tramp-oil or other undesirable effluents become mixed with industrial solution, the useful life of the industrial solutions is greatly diminished. A need exists to remove undesirable effluents from the industrial solution to permit re-use of as much industrial solution as possible.
The purpose of removing these undesirable effluents from another industrial solution is to maintain that industrial solution in a contamination-free state and to thereby reduce bacterial growth potential therein.
Effluents, such as tramp-oil, even in trace amounts, provides a food source for bacteria and thereby contributes to its growth. Because of such growth, the work place becomes filled with an undesirable rancid and foul-smelling order. Tramp-oil is also the source of smoke-mist and oil-mist in the work place. Quality of the work place suffers. These are valid health-related, environmental, and quality-of-life concerns for the well-being of the worker.
Quality of work is also affected by the presence of tramp-oil or other effluents. Tramp-oil reduces the useful life of the machine tool and the useful life of the industrial solution used in the machining process. It provides a means by which undesirable residues are retained in the work place and deposited on the work piece and the machine tool. Overall, the product suffers in time expended to produce it and in the quality of finished product itself. The presence of tramp-oils, and other undesirable effluents, also results in increased maintenance requirements in the work place. Tramp-oil is the scourge to industry and any efficient means of eliminating tramp-oil will greatly enhance the quality of finished products and quality of life in the work place for the machinist.
Generally, contaminated industrial solutions, even with trace amounts of contaminate, will last for a short period of time. After that, the contaminated fluid is disposed-of and replaced. The problems associated with this are two-fold. One is the cost for the proper packaging of the contaminated industrial solution and its proper disposal and another is the cost for new industrial solution. A third, indirect but associated problem is final disposal. In an already crowded ecosphere, limiting waste streams becomes crucial. Disposing of industrial solutions before their time adds to rather than decreases our waste stream.
Adding a bactericide to the industrial solution to kill the bacteria is yet another attempt at curing some problems associated with the presence of tramp-oil. In this cure, one problem was substituted for another since it was found that most bactericides irritated human skin. The problems associated with trace amounts of tramp-oil remain unabated.
Currently, apparatus (such as skimmers) are used in association with removing undesirable effluents and conveying the solution into a container or reservoir for decantation. Here the undesirable effluents separate out and rise to the top where they can be skimmed off and the industrial fluid or solution re-used. This process is cumbersome and requires additional skimming which general agitates the mixture and, to some extent, defeats the purpose. In many such processes, the container remains with the skimmer unit at all times causing an interruption in the overall operations and skimming process.
Other devices and methods employ various pumps and pumping techniques, one or more external tanks or containers, and numerous connections therebetween. These are costly to purchase, operate, and maintain. Additionally, these do not offer virtually continued operation; there must be a down-time to remove and replace the container which, with all the connections, becomes a lengthy task. Most containers used for this purpose are complex structures with baffles and weirs contained throughout. None is portable.
In this regard, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 365,259 issued on Jun. 21, 1887, to Ide; U.S. Pat. No. 782,065 issued on Feb. 7, 1905, to Shaler; U.S. Pat. No. 1,140,118 issued on May 18, 1915, to Collins; U.S. Pat. No. 2,762,511 issued on Sep. 11, 1956, to Sternaman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,057 issued on Mar. 5, 1963, to Mobley; U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,404 issued on Dec. 26, 1972, to Carlson, et. al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,252 issued on Apr. 16, 1974, to Rishel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,734 issued on Feb. 14, 1978, to Lowrie; U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,931 issued on Dec. 27, 1983, to Wolde-Michael; U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,011 issued on Oct. 24, 1989, to Betts, et. al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,280 issued on Jun. 16, 1992, to Russell, et. al. Each relates to various apparatus and paraphernalia associate with liquid separation. Each are either complex, cumbersome, and costly; none is as portable, easily sealable, and easily transportable and versatile as is the present invention.
The present invention is well-suited for further and more easily removing water-resistant oils and oil-like substances (e.g., hydraulic oils, lubricants, and other undesirable oils-tramp oils) from water-miscible industrial solutions (generally coolant industrial solutions used by machine tools in metal cutting and grinding operations) and recycling those industrial solutions for re-use. It is self-contained, portable, and sealable. Where space is limited, the present invention can be positioned in more than one position, to accommodate cramped spaces, and still function as desired.
The portable container, however, is not limited to machine processing operations. On a larger scale, it can be used as a recovery source for any petroleum-based product or other undesirable effluent which is in suspension, or emulsified, in water or other oil-repellent industrial solutions such that greater quantities of industrial solutions are recoverable and, therefore, re-usable. In the case of parts' washing with water, the recovery container facilitates separation of grease or oil from water such that the water also is re-usable.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are to:
provide a more efficient, effective, and less costly manner of recovering more usable solutions or fluids from effluents; PA1 provide portability and versatility to current recovery systems; PA1 permit positioning and using a recovery container in more than one position; and PA1 provide an environmentally friendly sealable re-usable recovery container.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.